Operating box-controlled dumb-waiter system.



E. L. DUNN.

OPERATING BOX CONTROLLED DUMBWAITER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. l0. m3.

1,222,854. Patented Apr. 17,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

[5' s6 87 i g 7 v E. L. DUNN.

OPERATING BOX CONTROLLED DUMB WAITER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1913.

1 ,222,854 Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

K 4) 518mm Show? 5 M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD L. DUNN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- IILENTS, TO STANDARD PLUNGER ELEVATOR COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSA- CHUSETTS, A CQRPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

OPERATING BOX-CONTROLLED DUMB-WAITER SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedApr. 17, 1917'.

Application filed September 10, 1913. Serial No. 789,015.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. DUNN, a citizen of the United States, residing at "Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Box-Controlled Dumb-Vaiter System, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention has particular reference to a telephonic system 01 communication in combination with an operating box controlled elevator or dumb waiter, wherein there is a home station at which an operator is stationed, and who despatches the car in accordance with the wishes of those desiring to use it.

The invention more especially relates to a dumb waiter system wherein the operator at the home station despatches the car to any predetermined iioor, upon reaching which it automatically stops and energizes a i'ioor signal to notify the attendant at that i'loor, who thereupon opens the door and either loads or unloads the car. Upon closure or the door, the car is sent to another floor by the home station operator, or returns to the home station upon closure of the door.

The object of the invention is to enable high speed automatic dumb waiters, such as are used in hotels, department stores, and apartment buildings to be more intelligently, expeditiously and economically operated by the provision of an inter-communicating system whereby an attendant on any floor can instruct the operator at the home station as to a desired loading and destination of the car, thereby permitting the operator to despatch the car to the pre deter-mined floor, at which it will stop antomatically upon arrival and make a signal to the attendant at that floor. The attendant will thereupon open the door and attend to the car, this particular car being at such time taken out of the control of the home station operator who can only set his controlling lever either to cause the car to automatically return to the home station when the attendantshuts the door, or to antomatically send the car to some floor other than the home station when the door is shut. In my Patent No. 987 ,673, dated March 21, 1911, is disclosed a dumbwaiter wherein the operator is signaled by means of ordinary drop annunciators having push buttons at the several floors and the drops in sight of the operator, the operator also being provided with push buttons connected to buzzers or audible alarms at the several floors for the purpose of signaling the attendants thereon. Inasmuch as the annunciators can only make one signal for each floor, and the iloor attendant has no means of knowing whether the motor operator has observed the signal and is responding to it, considerable time is lost by the floor attendants being compelled to wait without knowing whether or not their wishes are being attended to. Delays have also been occasioned by the motor operator not knowing whether or not the floor attendants are promptly unloading the car upon arrival, and also because the motor operator would frequently be prevented from actuating the buzzer to notify the floor attendants of the arrival of the car, so that the aggregate amount of time lost in a system embodying several dumbwaiters is considerable by reason of the lack of means of direct communication between the floor attendants and the motor operator.

According to this invention, signals are done away with, and a specially adapted inter-communicating telephone system is combincd with an operating box controlled au tomatic elevator or dumbwaiter in such manner that any floor attendant can call the motor operator, and vocally communicate his desires by means of a transmitter at each floor in connection with a loud speaker at the control station, the motor operator being provided with a switch so that he can at any time talk to one or more floor attendants through a loud speaker at each floor. The invention is especially useful for systems embodying several dumb waiters controlled by one attendant who, in addition to despatching the dumb waiters, may be expected to load and unload them at his station. In a hotel, for instance, the control station can conveniently be in. the pantry or kitchen, thereby permitting the floor attendants to verbally order supplies, which will be placed on the first available dumb waiter by the motor operator or some one under his direction, and then the car despatched to the floor, the floor attendant being automatically advised of the arrival of the car by a flashlight which only lights when the car stops at his floor. In case of any error, the floor attendant can immediately advise the motor operator without waiting for the return of the car already sent and the despatching of another car by the motor operator. In a department store the motor operator may conveniently be stationed at the shipping or wrapping floor, and be directly advised by this invention as to the wishes of the several floor attendants. By this invention the operation of dumb waiter systems is very much improved by reason of the saving in time due to elimination of delays both at the control station and at the floors incident to present systems, and a given amount of traffic can be handled with fewer machines.

The invention is shown diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure l is a diagrammatic view representing a preferred form of the invention for one elevator;

Fig. 2 is an illustration of a system for two dumb waiters;

Fig. 3 is a detail of the operators communication controlling switch.

The control system for the motor will first be described, whereby the operator starts the motor for any predetermined floor and causes it to automatically stop upon reaching that floor and, at the same time, energizes a signal to notify the floor attendant. 1 represents the motor armature having fields 2, 3 connected by suitable wiring to a solenoid operated reversing switch 4. This main switch l consists of a rocking arm carrying movable contacts 5, 7, 9, 11 cooperating respectively with stationary contacts 6, 8, 10, 12 to send the car in one direction when closed, and similar opposite contacts 5, 6 7*, 8, 9, 10 11 12" to send the car in the other direction. As herein considered, the contacts 512 are closed when solenoid D is energized to cause the car to go down, and the contacts 5 --12 are closed by solenoid U to cause the car to go up, and when neither solenoid is energized the main switches are open and the car at rest. These main switch solenoids U and D are respectively controlled by switches ]z, a, 71- (Z operated by direction magnets M U, M D, and the circuits of these latter magnets are respectively controlled by manually operated direction switches S U, S D. These direction switches S U and S D are momentarily closed whenever the starting switch S is moved by the motor operator. When the starting switch S is moved to send the car up, the direction switch S U is momentarily closed to energize the direction magnet M U, which in turn closes switch It a to energize the main solenoid magnet U and close the proper motor circuits to send the car up. When the switch S is moved by the motor operator in the opposite direction, the direction switch S D is momentarily closed and the magnet M D is energized to close switch it (Z and thereby energize down magnet D to send the car down. The detailed construction of these switches is not a part of this invention and is unnecessary to be further described in order to understand this invention. The switch S is mounted inside the operating box, and one form thereof, together with some of the circuits embodied herein, is illustrated and described in my Patent 9239,58 1, dated April 18, 1911. The switch S is operated by a hand wheel T, and also carries a pointer P (see Fig. 2) moving over a dial marked corresponding to the several floors at which the dumb waiter stops, it being understood that each dumb waiter is provided with its own operating box, in combination with a single inter-communicating system.

As above stated, the direction switches SU and S D are only momentarily closed, sufficiently, however, to complete the circuit from the plus side of the line through wire 15, contacts 16, 17 of solenoid switch 0, wire 18, down automatic 19, up automatic 20, wire 21 to switch bar 22, thence by wires 23 or 24:, according to which direction switch S U or S D is closed to direction magnets M U or M D, thence to the return side of the line through wire 25. "When magnet M U,

for example, is energized, a circuit is made by the closing of contacts h u by wire 26 through magnet U, thence by wire 27 to binding post R, from binding post R by wire 28 through door switches D D D D*, D to wire 25. These door switches are at the respective floors, and are only closed when the well doors are closed, so that while the switches h u or it cl may be closed and the direction magnets energized, the main switch magnets U D cannot be energized unless all the doors are closed. By this arrangement, not only is the safety of the floor attendants secured, but the magnets M D and M U are self holding so that the closure of the door switch after momentary closing of the direction switch by the operator will start the car automatically. Also, the open ing of the door switch at any time will stop the car, or the opening of either of the automatics 19, 20.

The holding circuit for direction magnets M U and the main switch magnet U can be traced from the line switch L through wire 15, stop contacts 16, 17 wire 18, down automatic 19, up automatic 20, wire 28, contacts h u, and thence as before to wire 25 for magnet M U, and from contacts h a through wire 26 and magnet U to wire 27, at 869., as before. The binding post 12 is made alive whenever the main switch is closed. The current in the stop circuit comes from the positive side of the line switch L through and thence when the main switch is closed through contacts 11 or 12, or 11 or 12 to bindi g post thence by wire ll to magnet 0, wire e0 to ring 39 through contactor 38, floor contact 8 then by wire 87, contact 34;, through switch arm S to bar 31, thence by wire 30 to binding post id, thence by wire 28 through the door sv l and wire to negative sideoi line switch. The stop switch 0 thus opens the contacts 1G, 17 and thereby deenergizes the direction magnet and the main switch magnet, does also the opening of either of the automatics. T he opening of a door switcn will deenergize either main switch magnet without at.- fecting the direction switch, and thereby stop the car as long as the door switch s open, but sending the car to destination when again closed.

-From switch bar 22 a wire 46 leads through a solenoid l7 to binding post Q, thence by wire 49 through resistance 50 to binding post R thence by wire 28, etc., through the door switches to the return side of the line, so that the magnet .27 is slightly res energized when the machine is at rest, but it is shunted out of the circuit by wire 59 when the machine starts, since the resistance 50 is across the line. At the limit stops 1 and 5 the stop of the machine is shown herein as being made by energizing stop magnet O to open the maintaining circuit containing wire 28 at contacts 16, 17 without passing through the operating box. The

- circuit for example, from ring 39, indicator 38 to contact 5* by wire 51, across contacts 52, 53 controlled by magnet U. Or from ring 39, indicator 38 to contact 1 wire 5-4: to contacts 56 controlled by magnet D. It will be seen that these contacts 52, 53 and 56 are closed when magnet U or The L bus magnet D, respectively, is energized. magnet U or D when energlzed closes contacts J8, and throws resistance 50 across the line, through wire 59, binding post Q, wire 4-9, resistance 50, binding post R, wire door switches D D D D and D, wire 25 to minus side of line. This saves current when the machine is running.

In order to indicate the various n L other than the operators iioor (or at a l- :tioors, when the operator is stationei l some other part of the building) the arrival oi the car, a w' e 60, connected. to plus side line switch through circuit breakers X X operated by the main switch is led to a contact bar 61 provided with a traveling brush 62 driven by the elevator machine, and moving over contacts 63, 65, 66, and

" thence by separate wires to floor lights (ES,

(35), TO, 7. 1, respectively, from which a como "u'n wire '73 leads bacl-c to wire 25 and i side of line switch L. .A floor l as at floor 3, will. thus be lighted by the closing of switches X X when the HIELCillIlG stops at the third floor, the circuit being from switch L, switches X X, Wire (30, contact bar 6]., brush 62, contact 3 5, light 70, wire to return wire This light will stay lighted as long as the car is stopped at that floor, and it will be observed that it will not light until tces X .i" are closed by the opening 0 in switch and put out by t ie closing 0.; main switch. The same happens at the other the car stops.

It the operator gets a message to send a, car say, for example, to the fol .th iioor, be has the option of sending any car which at rest with all of hatchway doors closed or by moving the switch .el, he can changi the d stination of car alre movi. ward that floor. nssumm. the car 111 i l, at rest at door 0, with all doors closed, he This closes at u' moves switch S to contact switch S U to complete the circuit rcctioi' magnet M to close n'cacts and thereby energize main U. The circuit is by w' 12', 're 18, down autoni matic 20, wire 21, switch S U, net M U to wire and thence to line.

switch contacts i' are closed when th motor is runn t the direction mag net holding circuit The L v. I) 1 1 Vin).

magnet Q is error ding post 4;, (which latter rendered alive by closthe main switch), when the indicat r reaches a tloor corresponding to the p tion of switch 8, and thereby opens the h ding circuit of the alive cticn magnet. The motor now starts and in. indicator 38 untilit reaches contact f which short circuits the running switch system, and alsc: en rgizes m net O through indicator contact S\ itch arm S, segment 31, wires 3O, 28, etc. i hus l assurthere is a do ibie anoe of stopping the machine by short ciri the running magnets, and opening uits at contacts l6, l7, y enoizamg magnet O. course magnet O is imn'iediately deenerguaed when the main switch opens and cuts oil:

' This closes contacts iii,

remain arter t the current from bind eliminates several objections to systems heretofore proposed. 1 have devised a special form of loud speaking telephone system es pecially adapted and combined with an operating b0 controlled automatic dumb waiter, whereby losses of time and misunderstandings are avoided and the highest etliciency and safety obtained.

at each floor there will be located a tele phone transmitter and a normally open switch or push button therefor, also at each floor there will be a receiver which is specifically called a loud speaker. At the operating box there will be one transmitter and one loud speaker, the transmitter being connetted through a selective switch so as to be in circuit with the loud speaker at any desired floor, the loud speaker at the operating box being placed in circuit with any floor through the closing of the attendants switch that door. The selective switch also enables the operator to cut out all other floors when he desires to communicate with any given floor attendant, thereby avoiding interferences on account of several floor attendants atten'ipting to call the operator at once. The transmitters and loud speakers are of the well known microphone construction in which the attendants or operators voice is transmitted and intensified at the receiver by relayed currents, and their de tails are not shown herein, being unnecessary to full understanding of this invention.

The parts are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 associated with the control system, and as they appear at the operating box and at the respective floors in Figs. 2 and 3. represents a series of transmitters, there being one at each floor, each having a controlling switch or push button 81, all being supplied from a common battery 82 and being in circuit with a loud speaker 83 at the operating box. The circuit is normally through a swinging switch arm B l, thence by a series of swinging bars 85 to the respective switches 81 and transmitters 80 at the floors. Thus any floor attendant can call the operator through loud speaker 83 by closing his switch 81 and giving the number of his floor and ordering certain goods or supplies, or otherwise stating his wishes directly to the motor operator. Each of the 85 is provided with a push button 86, convenient to the startingwheel T, so that when the operator receives a call from the loud speaker he will depress the push button 86 corresponding to that floor and time: move the switch bar 84- out of contact with all of the other floor bars 85, so that the other attendants are temporarily prevented from interfering with the communication between the operator and the floor corresponding to the button he has just pushed down. At the same time, the operator causes the bar 85 which he has pushed down to engage and move down a wringing ear 8? so to make contact with a bar 88 which is in circuit with battery 89, operators transmitter 90 and the floor attendants loud speaker 91, thus enabling the motor operator to answer directly the floor attendant, so as to inform him whether or not the car is available for passage to that floor, as to receive goods or to give other necessary information such as telling the floor attendant that the car is already on the way. Upon receiving such information, the floor attendant simply awaits the lighting of the light 70 over one of the hatchu'ay doors, and then opens the door and attends to the car. To inform the motor operator as to the location of cars, his control board is provided with a mechanical or other indicator 93 for each car, so that any time he can know where the cars are and send the car nearest a desired floor thereto. it will be understood that more than one loud speaker or transmitter, or both, can be provided at a floor if desired, and various other modifications and changes made without departing from the scope of the invention.

It will therefore be seen that an improved automatic dumb waiter system is herein providcd whereby a number of dumb waiters can be operated with an extreme degree of efliciency and intelligence without danger to the floor attendants and providing quick and. accurate service to a number of different floors in a high building. will be understood that the parts shown herein are simply explanatory and that the number of stops and details of construction can be varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a hoisting mechanism and a dunibwaiter car, of a relatively stationary controller for starting and au ton'iatically stopping the car at any desired floor, and an instruction communication system between said controller station and the respective floors comprising a transmitting speaking device at each floor, a single re ceiving speaking device adjacent said con.- troller, circuit controlling means adjacent each iioor transmitting device, and a controlling switch adjacent said receiving device for selectively cutting out a plurality of said floor transmitting devices.

2. The combination with a hoisting 1nechanism and a dnnibwaitei' car, of a relatively stationary controller for starting and automatically stopping the car at any desired floor, and an instruction communication system'between said controller station and the respective floors for directing the operation of a plurality of cars comprising a trans itting speaking device at each floor, a

single receiving speaking device adjacent said controller, circuit controlling means adjacent each floor transmitting device, asingle transmitting speaking device adjacent said controller, circuits therefrom to the respective floors, receiving speaking devices at said respective floors, and a controlling switch adjacent said receiving device for selectively cutting out a plurality of said floor transmitting devices.

3. The combination with a hoisting mechanism and a car, of a controller for starting and stopping the car at any desired floor, and an instruction communication system between said controller location and the respective floors comprising a transmitting speaking device at each floor, a single re ceiving speaking device adjacent said controller, circuit controlling means adjacent each floor transmitting device, a single transmitting speaking device adjacent said controller, circuits therefrom to the respective floors, a. receiving speaking device at said respective floors, and a controlling switch adjacent said receiving device for selectively cutting out a plurality of said floor transmitting and receiving speaking devices.

4. The combination with a hoisting mechanism and a car, of an operating controller for starting the car and automatically stopping it at a predetermined floor, a receiving speaking device adjacent said controller, a plurality of circuits from said device to the respective floors at which the car is to stop, transmitting speaking devices in said circuits at the respective floors, a selective switch adjacent said operating box for cutting out all but one of said circuits independentlv of said receiving speaking device, and a switch at each floor controlling the circuit of its transmitting speaking device to said receiving speaking device adjacent said controller.

5. The combination'with a hoisting mechanism and a car, of an operating controller for starting the car and automatically stopping it at a predetermined floor, a receiving speaking device adjacent said controller, a circuit from said device to each of the floors at which the car is to stop, transmitting speaking devices for said circuits at the respective floors, a transmitting speaking device adjacent said controlling means and having a separate circuit to each of the floors at which the car is to stop, a receiving speak ing device in each of said circuits at said floors, and a selective switch adjacent said operating box for cutting out all but one of said transmittin circuits from said floors and a corresponding transmitting circuit from said operating station to said floor.

6. The combination with a hoisting mechanism and a car, of an operating controller for starting the car and automatically stopping it at a predetermined floor, a receiving speaking device adjacent said controller, a circuit from said device to each of the floors at which the car is to stop, transmitting speaking devices for said circuits at the respective floors, a transmitting speaking device adjacent said controlling means and having a separate circuit to each of the floors at which the car is to stop, a receiving speaking device in each of said circuits at said floors, and a selective switch adjacent said operating box for cutting out all but one of said transmitting circuits from said floors and a corresponding transmitting circuit from said operating station to said floor, said selective switch comprising a swinging bar normally in contact with each of said floor transmitting circuits and movable to open all but one of said circuits and simultaneously close a corresponding transmitting circuit from said operating station to the receiving speaking device at said floor.

7. In a dumbwaiter telephone communication system, -a plurality of transmitting devices at the several floors having separate circuits to a receiving speaking device at a single control station adjacent the elevator controller, a receiving speaking device at each floor, said devices having separate circuits to a common receiving transmitting device at the control station, and a switch at the control station for cutting out all but one of said floor transmitting circuits to said receiving device at the control station and all but the corresponding transmitting circuit from said transmitting device at the control station to said receiving device at the floor.

8. The combination with a hoisting mechanism and a car, of a controller for starting and stopping the car at any desired floor,

and an instruction communication system between said controller location and the respective floors comprising a transmitting speaking device at each floor, a single receiving speaking device adjacent said controller, circuit controlling means adjacent each floor transmitting device, a controlling switch adjacent said receiving device for se lectively cutting out a plurality of said floor transmitting devices, and an automatic floor attendants signal at each of said floors and operative only to indicate stoppage of the car at the floor.

9. The combination with a hoisting mechanism and a car of an operating controller for starting the car and automatically stopping it at a predetermined floor, a receiving speaking device adjacent said controller, a plurality of circuits from said device to the respective floors at which the car is to stop, transmitting speaking devices in said circuits at the respective floors, a selective switch adjacent said operating box for cut ting out all but one of said circuits independently of said receiving speaking device,

a switch at each floor controlling the circuit of its transmitting speaking device to said receiving speaking device adjacent said controller, and an automatic floor attendants signal at each of said floors and operative only to indicate stoppage of the car at the floor.

10. The combination with a hoisting mechanism and a car, of an operating controller for starting the car and automatically stopping it at a predetermined floor, said controller being located at one of the floors, of a transmitting speaking device at each of the other floors, a receiving speaking device at said controlling floor, circuits including said receiving speaking device and each of said floor transmitting speaking devices, a transmitting speaking device at said control floor and receiving speaking devices at each of the other floors, circuits therefor, and selective means for excluding all but one of said floor transmitting devices from circuit with said operating floor receiving device, and all but one of said tioor receiving devices from circuit with. said operating floor transmitting device.

11. The combination with a hoisting mechanism and a car, of an operating controller for starting the car and automatically stopping it at a predetermined floor, said controller being located at one of the floors, of a transmitting speaking device at each of the other floors, a receiving speaking device at said controlling floor, circuits including said receiving speaking device and each of said floor transmitting speaking devices, a transmitting speaking device at said control floor and receiving speaking devices at each of the other floors, circuits therefor, and selective means for simultaneously excluding all but one of said floor transmitting devices from circuit with said operating floor receiving device, and all. but one of said floor receiving devices from circuit with said operating floor transmit ting device.

152. The combination with a hoisting mechanism and a car, of a stationary controller for starting and stopping the car at any desired floor, and a telephone system of communication between attendants at the several floors and the controller operator comprising transmitter devices at a plurality of floors and a receiving device adjacent the controller, means adjacent the controller for cutting out all but one of the naaasaa transmitting devices and cutting in a transmission circuit from said controller station to the floor corresponding to such transmitting device, a transmitter device at the controller, and a receiving device in said circuit at the floor.

13. The combination with a hoisting mechanism, a car, and a single operating controller for starting and-stopping the car, of a loud speaking means adjacent said controller whereby the operator can be audibly notified from a plurality of floors where to send the car, a separate transmitting and loud speaking means whereby the operator can vocally answer back to the attendant at any floor, and a contact device adjacent said controller and selectively controlling both the circuit including said answer back means and said floor loud speaking means, and the circuit including the transmitting means at said floor and said loud speaking means at said controller for preventing interference from other floors.

14:. The combination with a hoisting mechanism and a car, of an operating controller for starting the car and automatically stopping it at a predetelanined floor, of means whereby the operator can be notified from any floor where to send the car, means whereby the operator can answer back to the attendant at any floor upon actuating a contact device in a circuit including said answer back means and a receiving means at said floor, said contact means when actuated to complete a circuit to one floor receiving means cutting out other floor receiving means.

15. The combination with a hoisting mechanism and a car, of an operating controller for starting the car and automatically stopping it at a predetermined floor, a circuit including a floor transmitting device, a receiving device in said circuit adj acent the controller, a transmitting device adjacent said controller, a receiving device in circuit therewith at the floor, and means adjacent said controller for cutting in the controller transmitting and floor receiving device without cutting out the floor transmitting and controller receiving device.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD L. DUNN.

Witnesses R. E. FAY, C. F. Wesson.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). if. 

